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Friday, February 27, 2015

People usually open the new year with goals and a vague hope of realizing a better future. For instance, a lot of people view the new year as a reason to change; therefore, they are very motivated. People usually have common goals like eating healthier, working out more and having a more positive attitude. Do not get me wrong, I think it is good to have long and short term goals and the desire to be better. But in reality, it’s just another day. Nothing is going to happen between December 31 and January 1 besides your mindset.
The internal struggle to change is the hardest part of improving yourself. It is easy to say “I’m going to eat healthier and work out more,” but you have to do that. Your mindset needs to be realistic in terms of the challenges of changing your lifestyle, or else you will give up after short period of time.
Other people tend to look at the new year, not as a reason to have goals all of a sudden, but as a new start. I like that; events shape a person and every single person had a previous year of ups and downs. Therefore, a new year gives people the opportunity to move on.
I agree with the people who want to have hope for a better year. However, I disagree with the people who view the new year as a reason to change themselves. I believe in the power of a day. One day gives you endless opportunities to change something. No one knows how many days he or she will experience. Therefore we need to learn how to seize the day. Yes, some days it is hard with work, stressors, and “bad days,” but once one has the realization that a day is powerful and shall not be taken for granted, a more positive life shall follow.
Waiting for the next year to change something is taking life for granted. Once one stops acting like tomorrow is guaranteed, they will really start living.

Recently the school administration made a decision regarding the one to one devices, and the policies surrounding them. Ever since the first day they were given to us, there have been numerous counts of broken screens and other damages to the computers. For this reason, it will soon be mandatory to purchase and use a case for the device if you want to take it home.
The decision was poorly received by the student body, and many people feel its unfair to require us to pay $25.00 for something we didn’t ask for. However, it seems like many people are forgetting that the devices were given to us for free, and the case is only needed if you want to bring it home. If you are arguing that you never asked for the the tablet and you don’t need to use it, then you also don’t have any reason to take it home after school.
Although I do think it might be unjust in some respects, it’s the most reasonable solution for both the students and the school.
Lots of people will be quick to bash the school for doing this, but we shouldn’t shoot the messenger. The whole reason for all of this is because the school had to file too many insurance claims in such a short amount of time. Instead of getting angry at the school, we should be recognizing the fact that we all were given these devices for free, and a $25 investment to keep them working isn’t ridiculous to ask for.

As more and more One to Ones end up in the infirmary, new rules regarding laptop cases aim to cut down on damage after break.
About halfway through the school year, there are more than 30 One to Ones currently out of commission. As it becomes more of an issue, the school administration is looking for ways to cut down on the growing problem. Their newest idea is the implementation of mandatory cases for the One to Ones. These cases would cost $25 and be available for purchase in the library.
Students are wondering how the office plans to enforce these new rules. When asked, Principal Malone told me that he is still looking for ideas, but they are starting with a service charge or $25. Each time a student broke his or her laptop, they would need to pay this fee instead of simply buying a case. Also, Ms. Schwander said that it’s possible that students without a case will not be allowed to take the One to One devices home.